Lead singer, Florence Welch, was an art-college drop-out, from Camberwell (London), who was discovered singing motown covers in a nightclub toilet, drunk. ”The Machine” name originated with an in-joke between Welch and Summers. Musically, Florence + the Machine’s sound is sometimes referred to as soul-inspired indie rock. Welch grew up listening to The White Stripes and Kate Bush and says she writes metaphorical songs that are “stories with consequences and weird morality issues.”

2008Florence + the Machine’s music has received praise across the British music media, especially from the BBC, who played a large part in their rise to prominence, by bringing them into the spotlight as part of “BBC Introducing” (a program to support unsigned artists) - firstly at South By South West (SXSW) in Austin, Texas in March 2008 and later that year (Sept 2008) the band recorded a full session for the BBC at their Maida Vale studios.